CIA director traveling to Europe for talks on Gaza hostage release, cease-fire

With the Israel-Hamas war surpassing 100 days, pressure on both parties to agree to a cease-fire from world leaders is mounting. Reports say CIA Director William Burns is soon expected to travel to France to meet with Israeli intelligence officials along with Qatari and Egyptian officials in an attempt to broker a deal for the release of the more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

According to an anonymous source cited by CBS News and other outlets, Burns will be meeting with the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence official Abbas Kamel.

Among the hostages still being held in Gaza are said to be six male Americans. Burns’ trip will mark the fourth round of such negotiations, as he has traveled to Qatar twice in November and Poland once in an effort to get a hostage deal done.

🔴During IDF operations in Khan Yunis, troops from the Paratroopers Brigade located dozens of AK-47s, grenades, mortar shells and explosives used to fire from drones. pic.twitter.com/cLK7X5e9R6

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 25, 2024

Previous negotiations fell short of a deal, however, with Hamas adamant that hostages would only be released in exchange for an end to the war, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza. An offer that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected.

“Hamas is demanding, in exchange for the release of our hostages, the end of the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza, the release of the murderers and rapists of the Nukhba and leaving Hamas in place,” Netanyahu said. “I am not prepared to accept such a mortal blow to the security of Israel; therefore, we will not agree to this.”

"Still alive. But we're surrounded by IDF forces & tanks, shooting & shelling everywhere. Ambulances can't reach us"@TomWhiteGaza @CNN: Despite continuous effort to work with Israeli army, it took 2 days to get safe access & evacuate wounded people in @UNRWA shelter #KhanYounis pic.twitter.com/IXRL3pKFm6

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 26, 2024

In a statement on Jan. 18, marking the 100th day of the war, President Joe Biden made a promise to Americans who have loved ones being held captive in Gaza, saying the U.S. “will never stop working to bring Americans home.”